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ORLANDO, FL - IRRITABILITY BEFORE MENTAL STRESS IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER ADRENERGIC REACTIVITY WHEN UNDERGOING A STRESSFUL TASK | |
| Contact: Dr. Cora S. Weber Phone: 49 30 8445 3951 Email: cora.weber@charite.de Embargoed until: March 6, 2004 |
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That is the finding of a study on the cardiovascular and adrenergic reactivity to mental stress by Dr Cora Weber, internist and research scientist at the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine of the Charité Medical School, Campus Benjamin Franklin of Berlin, Germany. Results of the study were presented at the American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting, held March 3 - 6 in Orlando, FL. The research was designed to assess the role of psychological variables influencing our reaction to stress. Enhanced cardiovascular responsiveness to stress has been posited as a potential risk factor for the development of hypertension. The investigation involved a sample of healthy young males who underwent a standardized computer-based mental stress test. Cardiovascular parameters like blood pressure and heart rate were monitored continuously before, during and after the task. Blood samples were drawn to check for adrenaline and noradrenaline before, after and 20 minutes after stress. Participants completed standardized questionnaires to measure their level of irritability before stress. Subjects were divided in 'irritable' and 'non irritable' by their questionnaire scores. Results showed that the irritable subjects had higher noradrenaline levels before, during and after the stress task compared to the non-irritable subjects. The stress test yielded significant stress associated peaks regarding systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate. The study revealed a significant association between the psychological state and peripheral noradrenaline levels. The follow-up will determine whether the enhanced adrenergic reactivity to mental stress observed in irritable subjects contributes to later development of hypertension or other cardiovascular disease. | |
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Psychosomatic Medicine is the official peer-reviewed journal of the American Psychosomatic Society, published bimonthly. For information about the journal, contact Vicki White, Managing Editor for Manuscript Production,
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